intro to philo A simple presentation of the gospel of inner

cultivation of right spiritual attitudes, coupled with

buddhism
a self-imposed discipline whereby bodily desires
A 2500 year old tradition that began in India and would be channeled in the right direction.
spread and diversified throughout the far east He omitted any appeal to the gods as currently
A philosophy, religion, and spiritual practice conceived; definitely rejected philosophical
follower by more than 520 million people speculations; and spurned all recourse to
Growing out of the teaching of Siddhartha ancient scriptures, outmoded ritual, or priestly
Gautama incantations.
It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs Convinced that the way of escape from pain and
and spiritual practices largely based on the misery lay in the transformation of one’s mind
Buddha's teachings and resulting interpreted and that liberation could come only with a
philosophers sloughing off of all vain clinging to the things of
this life, Buddha set about sharing his discovery
the buddha
with anyone who would listen to him.
Siddhartha Gautama is the real name of the Nirvana (Enlightened

Buddha Wisdom)
He is the prince of the Sakya clan in the kingdom
It means "blowing out" or "quenching" of the
of Magadha
activities of the worldly mind and its related
He lived from 560 to 477 BC
suffering. In other word, It refer to the extinction
He turn away from Hindu polytheism and palace
of desire, hatred, and ignorance and, ultimately,
pleasures, and began searching for answers to
of suffering and rebirth.
the riddle of life sufferings disease, old age and
death. Karma (Law of Cost and

He explored Brahmanic philosophies, then tried Effect)

the rigors of asceticism, but all to no avail.
Finally, while resting and meditating in a grove of It refers to action driven by intention which leads
tress, he came to a clear realization that the to future consequences. Those intentions are
solution lays in his own mind (Puligandla 1997). considered to be the determining factor in the
He believe that human beings have the potential kind of rebirth in samsara, the cycle of rebirth.
to become free from suffering by practicing
mediation and cultivating a lifestyle
Reduced to its simplest form, the teaching of
He gave many lectured before his death. His life
Buddha has been set forth traditionally in the “Four
was devoted to sharing his "Dharma" or Law of
Noble Truths” leading to the “Eightfold Path” to
Salvation
perfect character or arhatship , which in turn gave
dharma (Law of Salvation) assurance of entrance into Nirvana at death.

A simple presentation of the gospel of inner

cultivation of right spiritual attitudes, coupled with
a self-imposed discipline whereby bodily desires Four Noble Truths
would be channeled in the right direction. 1. life is full of suffering;
He omitted any appeal to the gods as currently 2. suffering is caused by passionate desires, lust,
conceived; definitely rejected philosophical cravings;
speculations; and spurned all recourse to 3. only as these are obliterated;
ancient scriptures, outmoded ritual, or priestly 4. such eradication of desire may be accomplished
incantations. only by following the Eightfold Path of earnest
endeavor.
intro to philo At first, the Order lived under the following 10
Eightfold Path simple rules. As time went on, many more rules
1. Right view were embodied in the Buddhist book of monastic
2. Right resolve discipline. The following precepts represents the
3. Right speech first steps that one can take after reading,
4. Right conduct hearing, and pondering Buddhist teaching and
5. Right livelihood establishing as a set of rules, for Buddhism
6. Right effort stresses the cultivation of wisdom and
7. Right mindfulness discernment (Velasquez 1999). In other words,
8. Right Samadhi blind obedience to the precepts is not
encouraged.

For Velasquez (1999), “Items 1 and 2 enjoin us The Five Precepts

to develop wisdom, items 3-5 urge us to practice 1.Refrain from destroying life.
virtue and avoid vice, and items 6-8 tell us to 2.Refrain from taking what is not given.
practice meditation. We do this essentially y 3.Refrain from a misuse of the senses.
following three short axioms: cease to do evil, 4.Refrain from wrong speech.
learn to do good, and purify your own mind. 5. Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind.

The way to salvation, in other words, lies through The Buddhist practice the four states of sublime
self-abnegation, rigid discipline of mind and condition: Love, sorrow of others, joy in the joy of
body, a consuming love for all living creatures, others and equanimity as regards one’s own joy and
and the final achievement of that state of sorrows, Buddhism, similar to Hinduism and other
consciousness which marks an individual’s full religions, is a matter of practice. A certain unity
preparation for entering the Nirvana (enlightened prevailed in the Order and in the interpretations
wisdom) of complete selflessness. In this state, given to the Dharma during the Buddha’s lifetime.
the effects of the Law of Cause and Effect However, after his death, a need was felt for putting
(Karma) are overcome, the Cycle of Rebirth is the saying of Buddha into writing, or at least for
broken, and one may rest in the calm assurance getting them fixed in the oral tradition. About 477
of having attained a heavenlybliss that will B.C., about 500 disciples gathered in the First
stretch into all eternity. Council at Rajagaha and together recited and
Before long, the Buddha found himself chanted precepts now found in the Tripitaka. A
surrounded by an increasing number of century later, in the Second Council at Vesali, in Ca.
adherents-men like himself, willing to leave the 383 or 377 B.C., it was found desirable to make
comforts of home, don the robe of a monk and, changes to ease the burden of Buddhist discipline.
with staff in one hand and begging bowl in the During King Ashoka’s time, about 273 B.C.,
other, follow their leader as wandering Buddhism flourished despite sectarian differences.
mendicant. These were later organized into the In the Third Council in 245 B.C., a serious effort was
Sangha, or Order of Monks and later of nuns made to reform and reorganize the Order.
also. With single-hearted purpose, this
brotherhood of believers dedicated itself to a life
self-purification, in total loyalty to the Buddha,
the Dharma, and the Sangha. It likewise
committed itself to a life of poverty whose sole
aim was the “evangelization” of India through
their dissemination of the doctrine of the Middle
Way between extreme asceticism and self-
indulgence (Puligandla 2007)
intro to philo Eight symbols of Buddhism

After which the more ardent Buddhists embarked 1. Parasol - The parasol has its roots serving as an
upon a program of expansion. Under Ashoka’s Indian symbol of royalty and protection. Traditionally,
royal patronage, missionaries were sent south to the more parasols an individual had, the higher they
Ceylon and eastward to Burma, Siam (Thailand), were in the social hierarchy with royalty usually
bearing the orthodox message of original having around thirteen.
Buddhism (Ramos 2010). We close this section
by nothing that the freedom of thought and
intellectual independence of Buddhism are
unique in the history of religions. The Buddha
insisted that no one accepts his teaching merely
out of reverence for him, but that each human
being subjects the teaching to rigorous reflection
and analysis and accepts it only after all doubts
and perplexities are overcome (Puligandla
2. Conch Shell - The conch shell began as an
2007). The subsequent discussions historically
Indian attribute of heroic gods, where shells
present the Western thinking. The readers shall
represented victories in battle. In the usual Buddhist
be acquainted with some key notions have
depiction of the shell, it turns to the right and is
helped in the formation of the Westerner’s
usually white
understanding of one’s self and the world.
The Goal of Buddhism

The way to Salvation, in other words, lies through

self-abnegation, rigid discipline of mind and body, a
consuming love for all living creatures, and the final
achievement of that state of consciousness which
marks an individual’s full preparation for entering the
Nirvana (enlightened wisdom) of complete
selflessness . In this state ,the effects of the Law of 3. Treasure Vase - The Buddhist style treasure
Cause and Effect (Karma) are overcome the Cycle vase is modeled after traditional Indian clay water
of Rebirth is broken; and one may rest in the calm pots. The vase is mostly used as a symbol of certain
assurance of having attained of heavenly bliss that wealth deities, but also represents the endless
will stretch into all eternity. quality of the Buddha's teachings.

The Buddhist practice the four states of sublime

condition: love, sorrow of others, joy in the joy of
others and equanimity as regards one’s own joy and
sorrows. They believe that human beings have the
potential to become free from suffering by practicing
meditation and cultivating a lifestyle as prescribed by
Buddha. Until now Buddhism remains a powerful
religious, political, and cultural force in many parts of
4. Victory Banner - The victory banner originated
the world.
as a military standard in ancient Indian Warfare. The
banners would be adorned differently depending on
the deity that it was meant to convey and lead.
intro to philo 8. Lotus Flower - It is known for its ability to grow
unstained in murky waters. This quality of it
remaining pure when surrounded by dirt and filth led
to it becoming a Buddhist symbol of purity and
renunciation.

5. Dharma Wheel - The wheel began as Indian

symbol for sovereignty, power, and protection. The
wheel is made up of three key parts, the hub, the
spokes, and the rim. Respectively, they represent
ethics, wisdom, and concentration

6. Golden Fish - The pair of golden fish began as a

representation of the two great rivers of India, the
Ganges and the Yamuna. They came to symbolize
happiness and spontaneity due to their freedom
moving through water.

7. Endless Knot - The endless knot is a piece of

imagery present throughout many ancient cultures
and beliefs. In Buddhism the knot serves as a
symbol of the Buddha's endless wisdom and
compassion in addition to eternal harmony